A short history of Greenland, in six maps

AMERICA HAS a long history of buying land: it acquired more than two-fifths of its current territory that way. But Donald Trump is the first president in more than a century to publicly call for expanding American territory. His interest in taking over Greenland—perhaps by force—has unsettled America’s allies. Mr Trump has said that American control over the island’s minerals is “an absolute necessity” for national security. Climate change, which has opened sea routes, has increased Greenland’s importance. The six maps below show how geography and geopolitics have shaped Greenland’s past and may affect its future.